Hygienic apparatus

ABSTRACT

A hygienic apparatus comprised of a housing that is fixedly associated with a toilet having a seat, which housing contains a water container and an impeller assembly operable for directing a jet stream of water from the container through a nozzle located in the area of the toilet bowl beneath the seat and outwardly toward the opening in the seat. The water container includes a normally closed valve component that is opened when associated with the impeller assembly, and the apparatus has motor and pump means and self-contained energy means for powering the motor and pump.

States atent l 191 1 May 14, 1974 I HYGIENIC APPARATUS [75] Inventor: Frank Lodi, Chicago, Ill. [73] Assignee: Salli-Seat, Inc., Chicago, I11. 221 Filed: July 10, 1972 211' Appl. No.: 270,297

[52] US. Cl. 4/7. [51] Int. Cl, A47k 3/22, A47k 1 1/08 [58] Field of Search 4/6, '7, 1

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,977,758 10/1934 Epler 4/7 3,545,015 12/1970 Richardson, Jr. et al.... 4/7 2,762,058 9/1956 Hurks 4/7 3,247,524 4/1966 Umann 4/7 3,083,374 4/1963 Watlington 4/1 3,170,168 2/1965 Cicatello 4/1 1/1962 Aranas 4/7 FOREIGN PATENTSOR APPLICATIONS 562,934 10/1932 Germany 4/7 Primary ExaminerHenry Artis 1 ABSTRACT A hygienic apparatus comprised of a housing that is fixedly associated with a toilet having a seat, which housing contains a water container and an impeller as sembly operable for directing a jet stream of water from the container through a nozzle located in the area of the toilet bowl beneath the seat and outwardly toward the opening in the seat. The water container includes a normally closed valve component that is opened when associated with the impeller assembly, and the apparatus h'as motor and pump means and self-contained energy means for powering the motor and pump.

11 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 141914 3810 260 saw 2 or 2 HYGIENIC APPARATUS The invention relates to improvements in hygienic apparatus and is more particularly concerned with the provision of a novel apparatus, mounted on a toilet bowl or adjacent thereto, operable to direct a stream of warm water at the anus or adjacent body openings.

The apparatus disclosed herein in one embodiment is seated on a mounting place secured to the toilet seat, without modification thereof, rearwardly of the conventional seat and cover so as to be located entirely rearwardly of a person seated on the seat. The seat and cover are hingedly connected to the mounting plate. The apparatus includes a housing enclosing a water pan or container, a pump, or other power driven impeller,

and an electric power pack, the later being controlled by operation of a manually controlled switch, accessible on the outside of the housing.

In other embodiments of the invention herein disclosed, the water pan or container is mounted apart from but adjacent to the toilet bowl so as to bereadily actuated by a person seated on the toilet seat.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide hygienic apparatus of the character referred to.

Another object'is to provide apparatus of the character referred min which all components, including a removable water container, are enclosed within a housing.

Another object is to provide a structure of the character described in which the housing is not used as a part of the seat.

.acter referred to which is not expensive or difficult to manufacture and one that is very efficient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawingsi FIG. I is a perspective view of a toilet bowl showing the hygienic apparatus mounted thereon.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus and its mounting plate.

FIG. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the housing, showing the components mounted therein, and the shield for the power pack partially broken away. 1

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the valve assembly between the water container and impeller.

FIG. 5 is atop plan view of the apparatus showing the hinged cover for the; housing removed.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational view of the apparatus, showing its assembled relationship. to the toilet bowl and its seat and, cover.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the impeller and its housing, the latter being shown in section.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the electric circuitry of the apparatus.

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of a toilet bowl embodying a modified structure where the water container is mounted ona wall adjacent to the bowl.

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view of the toilet bowl 7 water tank, showing the water container suspended therefrom.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 8 of the accompanying drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, the toilet bowl 11 is fitted with a seat 12 and a cover 13. Rearwardly of the seat and cover is an upstanding substantially rectangular housing 14 having a hingedly connected or otherwise removable cover 15. All of these components 13 are hingedly connected. It should be evident that the hinge assembly is such that the seat and cover can both be raised into an elevated position without interference by the housing 14. The mounting plate serves to nest the housing 14 in place and allows removal of the housing for service without interferringwith the availability of the seat and cover for use in a conventional manner.

Referring now' to FIGS. 3 and 4 and 5, the housing has removably mounted therein a water container 22 which is guided into place by one or more flanges 23 on the inside of one end of the housing, which flanges include a shoulder 23a upon which one end of the con- .tainer 22 is seated. The. other end of the container has,

on its bottom wall, a tubular stud 24 containing a valve assembly 25.'When the container 22 is seated in place within the housing, this studseats in a mating receptacle 26 formed in an impeller housing 27. A gravity valve element 28 in said tubular stud normally rests against a valve seat 29 in said. stud to prevent water contained in the container from leaking out through the tubular stud. When the container is in place inthe housing, the valve element 28 -is encountered by an .upstanding pin 31 in the receptacle 26 and is lifted into open position to allow water to flow into the receptacle for a purpose to be explained presently.

It will be noted that the receptacle 26 (see FIGS. 3, 4 and 7) has an outlet conduit 33 leading into a cavity 34 housing an impeller 35 mounted on the lower end of an electric motor 36 secured firmly over the top of the cavity 34. An outlet port 37 leading from the impeller cavity has connected with it, in flow communication, a conduit 38 terminating in a flow passageway 39 formed in a forwardly downwardly extending protuberance 41 formed integral with the front wall 17 of housing 14. As best shown in. FIG. 6, this protuberance has a discharge port or jet nozzle 42 located beneath the seat, and has a single upwardly forwardly directed jet orifice 43. The position of the jet orifice is'such that when a stream of water is discharged therefrom, it will be directed to the area of the anus of a..person seated on the toilet seat 12.

Electric power for ,the impeller motor 36 may be obtained from any suitable source, but to maintain portabeing provided for this purpose. Preferably, a shield 40 is arranged over the impeller and power pack, to avoid tampering with the unit by a consumer; and the cells are permanently interconnected in series and the series is connected to a lead-in wire 46 terminating in a charge-transformer 47 including prongs 48, thus enabling the consumer to plug the transformer into any conventional receptacle for recharging the cells, without removing the power pack or other components from the unit.

In use, water, warmed to a desired temperature for comfort from any available conventional water tap, is placed in the water container 22 and the container is seated in the housing, as previously described, thus opening the valve 28 29 to permit water to flow to the impeller. A switch 49 (see FIG. 8) is closed to supply electric current to the impeller motor 36, and said impeller is actuated to pressurize the water entering .into the discharge conduit 38 so as to cause a jet stream to pass out of the jet orifice 43.

Referring now to the modified structure shown in FIG. 9, the toilet bowl is provided rearwardly of the seat 12 with a fitting 51 having an outlet 52 formed with a jet orifice therein for directing a stream of fluid fed thereto through conduit 53 from a fluid receptacle 54 suspended above the toilet bowl on a suitable support surface, such as a wall 55. A suitable motor driven impeller 36 may be provided to generate the pressure necessary to cause a jet stream to pass out of the orifice 52.

FIG. illustrates a structure similar to that shown in FIG. 9, except that the fluid container 54a is hung, by means of a hanger bracket 56 directly on the side of a conventional water tank 57.

In each embodiment described herein, after discharge of the jet stream, water remaining in the container is allowed to drain through the open valve 28 29 into the toilet bowl, so that a later user of the device must refill the container with tempered water, rather than chance use of cooled water remaining in the container from a previous user.

A douche attachment, comprising a suitable length of tubing having a snap collar at one end, may be frictionally fitted over the jet nozzle 42 so that fluid discharged from the orifice 43 is ejected through the douche attachment tube.- The arrangement of the hygienic appaveniently mixed and deposited in the container and applied through the jet orifice.

Although I have described the invention in considerable detail, it will 'be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive, as details of the structure may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact construction described.

I claim:

1. A hygienic apparatus for use on a toilet bowl having a seat thereon, a housing supported above said toilet bowl, a water container in said housing, a water dispensing element associated with said toilet bowl, conduit means connecting said container with the dispensing element, and a motorized impeller assembly in said housing connected in said conduit means for projecting a jet stream of water from said water dispensing element toward the toilet seat.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which the housing is supported on the toilet bowl.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 2, in which a mounting plate is secured to the toilet bowl and the housing is seated thereon.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 3, in which the mounting plate includes hinge journals for the seat.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which the water container includes a normally closed outlet valve and the impellerincludes means to open the valve.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which the water container is removably seated in the housing.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 6, in which the housing has guide means to facilitate positioning of the container therein.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which the dispensing element has a discharge nozzle disposed be neath the seat.

9. The apparatus recited'in claim 8, in which the dispensing element comprises a spout integral with the housing.

10. The apparatus recited in claim 5, in which the open valve remains open until the container is removed from the housing.

11. The apparatus recited. in claim 1, wherein a power pack is contained in the housing for operating the motorized impeller. 

1. A hygienic apparatus for use on a toilet bowl having a seat thereon, a housing supported above said toilet bowl, a water container in said housing, a water dispensing element associated with said toilet bowl, conduit means connecting said container with the dispensing element, and a motorized impeller assembly in said housing connected in said conduit means for projecting a jet stream of water from said water dispensing element toward the toilet seat.
 2. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which the housing is supported on the toilet bowl.
 3. The apparatus recited in claim 2, in which a mounting plate is secured to the toilet bowl and the housing is seated thereon.
 4. The apparatus recited in claim 3, in which the mounting plate includes hinge journals for the seat.
 5. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which the water container includes a normally closed outlet valve and the impeller includes means to open the valve.
 6. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which the water container is removably seated in the housing.
 7. The apparatus recited in claiM 6, in which the housing has guide means to facilitate positioning of the container therein.
 8. The apparatus recited in claim 1, in which the dispensing element has a discharge nozzle disposed beneath the seat.
 9. The apparatus recited in claim 8, in which the dispensing element comprises a spout integral with the housing.
 10. The apparatus recited in claim 5, in which the open valve remains open until the container is removed from the housing.
 11. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein a power pack is contained in the housing for operating the motorized impeller. 